Memories of the Past
by Nieriel
Summary: Harry and Hermione accidentally get transported back to 1975! They end up going to school with the Marauders but things get out of hand when Lily falls for Harry and James falls for Hermione!


**A/N:** I borrowed a couple paragraphs from the end of Ootp the "set the stage", so to speak, for this fic. I_did _change it a bit, but it's still pretty muchOotp...so don't accuse me of plagiarism, I am fully aware that J.K. Rowling owns the first little bit here!

**Chapter One – The Department of Mysteries**

"They might have run straight through to the hall."

"Check under all the desks!"

Harry's heart was thumping madly; he might have killed them all, with his stupid dream about Sirius – all he wanted to do was get everyone out of here alive and safe. He poked his wand out from under the desk as the Death Eater's knees appeared and yelled, "_Stupefy!_" The Death Eater yelled as he went flying, and Harry scrambled out from under the desk, firing another Stunning Spell at the second Death Eater, which missed.

The second Death Eater aimed his wand at Hermione, who was wriggling out from under the desk. "_Avada-_"

Harry launched himself across the floor and grabbed the Death Eater around the knees, causing his aim to go awry. "Harry!" Hermione screamed as the jet of green light intended for her headed straight for Neville, who had just pulled himself out from under the desk on the other side of the room.

"Neville, no!" They yelled together, but it was too late. The curse knocked Neville off of his feet and when the blinding green light had finally faded, Neville's lifeless body lay sprawled on the floor, his eyes wide with shock.

A strangled scream erupted from Hermione's throat as she gazed from the Death Eater's crooked grin to Neville's body and back again. He lifted his wand to perform the same curse on Hermione and sentence her to the same fate as Neville. She froze and stared at him, her eyes wide and terrified.

"Hermione, move!" Harry bellowed from the other side of the room, but she was so frightened and shocked by Neville's sudden murder that she was like a deer caught in the headlights. Harry sprinted towards her, but he tripped over Neville's foot and went flying. He hurtled towards Hermione, desperate, and knocked her to the ground just as the Death Eater's curse came flying at them.

Hermione screamed as the skidded along the smooth stone floor. Harry looked up and realized that they were going to crash into the giant glass bell jar at the end of the room, but before he could make any sort of attempt to stop, they had collided with it. There was no crash, however – Harry opened his eyes and found, to his surprise, that they were somehow _inside _the bell jar – the glittering golden mist was swirling all around them –

"Harry!" Hermione cried. "Look – time is rewinding-"

They gaped through the glass as time rewound itself, watching as the green light rushed back into the Death Eater's wand and Neville hopped back to life – they crawled back under the desks and the Death Eaters were gone from the room – they ran backwards from the room a minute later, and then Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville crept through the room backwards on their way to rescue Sirius –

Things began to move faster, various Ministry of Magic workers wound their way through the room, oblivious to Harry and Hermione trapped inside the bell jar. The glittering wind grew brighter and brighter and Harry screwed up his eyes against the blinding light.

"Harry, we need to get out of here!" Hermione cried. "Who knows what'll happen if we stay in this thing?"

They began struggling through the swirling furore of golden mist, which had grown as thick as cold custard. It was like they were moving in slow-motion – every movement seemed to take an abnormal amount of energy. They pushed against the wind, fighting for every step.

"Almost there-" Harry gasped, tripping over his robes. With one last surging effort he toppled out of the bell jar, pulling Hermione with him. Her robes tore as he fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Harry – Harry – where are we?" Hermione gasped. "_When _are we?"

"I don't know," Harry wheezed, exhaustion setting in on him as his muscles rebelled when he tried to stand. He was so tired – all he wanted to do was sleep, right there on the floor of the Department of Mysteries. Apparently Hermione was of the same mind, for she collapsed, unconscious, beside him at that very moment. Harry proceeded to follow her, and his last conscious memory was of a bewildered Ministry of Magic worker bursting into the room and gazing at him in shocked silence.

-----

"Yes, Eric found them – first day on the job, and two Hogwarts kids break into the Department of Mysteries? I'll be surprised if he doesn't get the sack."

"What does Bagnold have to say about all this?"

"She's requested Dumbledore come down and discuss it with the three of them – I just want to know how on earth they got in there in the first place!"

"No idea – Eric found them both unconscious in the Time Room – they were probably trying to steal Time Turners."

"Stupid kids. Well, I don't doubt that they'll be sent to Azkaban for a couple months for this stupid stunt."

The two guards let out grunting barks of laughter. Harry lay awake inside the room they were guarding, eyes closed, heart thumping madly. Hermione was in the bed beside him, still unconscious. He had no idea who this Bagnold was, but the guards had mentioned Dumbledore – and if anyone could get him and Hermione out of the mess they were in, it was Dumbledore.

A soft moan from Hermione alerted Harry to the fact that she was waking up. Her eyes began to flutter wildly.

"Hermione," he whispered urgently.

She gasped and sat up. "Harry!"

"Shh!" He motioned frantically for her to lay down. "There's two guards outside the door – they think we were trying to steal Time-turners…"

"Where are we?" Hermione whispered.

"I think we're in the Ministry," Harry whispered back. "But I don't know _when_. We've got a meeting with someone called Bagnold and _Dumbledore_, Hermione, they think we're Hogwarts students-"

"Bagnold? Millicent Bagnold?"

"_Who_?"

"Honestly, Harry, don't you _ever _pay attention in class? Professor Binns has mentioned her _at least _three times in class-"

"Hermione! _Now is not the time to lecture me on my study habits!_" Harry whispered furiously. "Who is she?"

"She was the Minister for Magic from 1973 until 1979," Hermione said automatically. "So I guess this means we're somewhere in that time frame…" She bit her lip. "Harry, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But when we talk to Dumbledore, he'll be able to sort this out for us." Harry said firmly. "I-" he froze suddenly, listening hard. "Someone's coming," he muttered.

They lay down quickly and listened, their nerves jangling as the clicking of heels in the hallway grew louder and louder.

"Are they awake yet?" A sharp female voice snapped.

"We – we don't know, Madam Bagnold, we haven't checked on them-"

"Fools! They could have Apparated by now!"

The door burst open and Harry beheld the sternest looking woman he'd ever seen. She had steel-gray hair that had been forced into crisp ringlets and eyes the color of dark steel. There was nothing soft or feminine about her – every line of her face and body looked sharp enough to draw blood. She held herself rigidly, and her mouth was thin and pursed with displeasure.

"Good, you're awake." She said, and her voice cut the air like a knife. "Both of you, come with me. Your Headmaster is waiting in my office."

Harry made to get up, and noticed that for some strange reason, Millicent Bagnold was wearing bright purple shoes that seemed to be made of snakeskin. She caught him staring and said smugly, "Finest python skin, imported from Brazil. Now come along!"

He caught Hermione's eye and they mutely followed Bagnold from the tiny room they'd been held in, Harry hypnotized by the dancing purple pythons in front of him. For someone as stern and angry-looking as Millicent Bagnold, her shoes seemed remarkably frivolous – not at all in accord with her apparent personality.

They reached the lifts and Bagnold snapped, "My office!" The lift attendant jumped and hurriedly jammed the large button labeled 'Administrative Offices'.

The lift clattered and jangled upwards. Harry's breathing was shallow and uneven as he stared at Millicent Bagnold, wondering if she was going to send him and Hermione to Azkaban for supposedly trespassing at the Ministry.

They clanged to a halt and the grilles slid open. "This way," Bagnold barked, and the two followed her along a well-lit corridor into a large office where a fire was crackling merrily in the grate. Dumbledore was seated comfortably by said fire, merrily twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling.

"In," Bagnold snapped, jabbing Harry in the back between his shoulder blades. He stumbled forward, his heart thumping. He felt Hermione groping for his hand and squeezed it tightly, not sure if he was reassuring her or if it was the other way around. He took a deep breath and entered the office, praying that Dumbledore and Bagnold would believe him.


End file.
